Reactions to United's draw with Bayern Munich

April 2, 2014

1. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, you always fancied United to pull off a result, even if all the odds were stacked against them. This season things have been different. Following the desperately disappointing performances and results against Liverpool and City over the past few weeks, when the players couldn’t rise above their usual form and put in a gutsy display in a big game, why should fans have expected the match against Bayern Munich to be any different? But it was. It was so different. Who could have possibly predicted that when the 90 minutes was up it would be United fans who were left disappointed with a draw? I wouldn’t go as far as saying it felt like a defeat, but United should have won last night.

2. Danny Welbeck was involved in two of the main talking points of the game. First, there was his disallowed goal. At the time I couldn’t work out what had gone on. When pictures started coming through to my phone at half-time, showing Martinez stooping to get close to Welbeck’s waist-height foot with his head, I was livid. Danny didn’t even make contact. No Premier League referee would have blown for that. And the finish was just so good! Devastated. The sick feeling only increased when he blew a fantastic opportunity to put us 1-0 towards the end of the first half. The decision to try and chip Neuer, when the obvious thing to do would have been to play the ball around the keeper on the floor, was baffling. I love Welbeck. I’m happier for him when he scores than anyone. But that was desperately disappointing last night.

3. To counteract that, captain Vidic did so well to head us 1-0 up early in to the second half. It was a great corner in from Wayne Rooney but Vidic had so much to do to not only get on on the end of it, but get it past Neuer too. He looked absolutely delighted with it as well. He’s past his best these days but he will be missed next season, and how fantastic would it be if putting us in the Champions League semi-finals was a parting gift… OK, I won’t get too carried away.

4. It’s unfair just to single out Vidic though as that cobbled together back four put in a great shift. Alex Buttner had so much to do but, amazingly, did well. Time and again he had two men to contend with by himself and whilst on occasion he looked fairly lost, overall he was impressive. When he went off injured in the second half he was met with warm applause from around the ground. His injury forced Jones to left back and Valencia to right back, yet still they managed to keep Bayern out. We were playing against probably the best side in Europe and they saw so much of the ball, yet with one exception, we stopped them from doing anything too dangerous.

5. Marouane Fellaini. Wow. I’m not a hater. I still have some hope deep down that one day he will prove himself a useful player for United, even if he probably won’t ever be a starting XI player. He was horrendous yesterday though. All the attributes that he used to boast when he was at Everton seem to have vanished. He couldn’t win a header in the air against even the smallest of opponents. When he did win the ball it was usually from jumping up and controlling it (excellently) on his chest. It was bizarre. He couldn’t keep possession. It felt like he lost it every time he got it. He couldn’t win the ball. It felt like every time he put a foot in he either missed the ball or tapped it against the Bayern player, allowing them to retain possession. In the first half, when he got on the end of a cross to head clear, the Stretford End let out an ironic cheer. He wasn’t as bad in the second half… other than being at fault for conceding an away goal. Hopefully Darren Fletcher will get his place in the away leg.

6. Shinji Kagawa will have felt aggrieved that he didn’t start, but Moyes is in a difficult position. Whilst Kagawa has the potential to add so much offensively, he doesn’t offer what Welbeck and Antonio Valencia do defensively. He knows how to play against Bayern though and has the confidence to go out there and do it. Big decision for the manager to make for next week’s game.

7. There has been plenty of talk about the red card just before the end too, with Pep Guardiola claiming Rooney dived. Bastian Schweinsteiger slid in on Rooney, similarly to Valencia in the first half when he was shown a yellow card. Rooney jumped out of the way, dramatically, but if he had stayed rooted to the spot then he could have been hurt. Schweinsteiger went in with studs showing with his foot off the floor. What was Rooney meant to do? Just stand there and wait to be taken out? If he had, does anyone believe that Schweinsteiger wouldn’t still have been booked? Rooney was fully entitled to get out of the way of what was a potentially dangerous challenge. Some people have suggested that Valencia should have been shown a second yellow in the second half too. The linesman was just yards away and had a great view. Both players went in for the ball, both genuinely challenging for it, and one player came off worse than the other. Or at least, one player pretended to be hurt and one didn’t. Boateng rolled around in agony… only to jump straight up and not even go off the pitch for any sort of treatment once he realised the ref wasn’t going to send Valencia off.

8. United have done so well in the Champions League this season, with the exception of Olympiacos away, which is baffling. How does Moyes get it right in Europe when he gets it so badly wrong in the league? There’s no point getting ahead of ourselves and expecting anything from the second leg, but if we play how we did last night, we’re in with a chance. We can’t afford to carry anyone though and stupid individual mistakes can make or break it for us. Maybe those stupid individual mistakes have already cost us. But we can hold our heads up high after last night’s performance, which has been a rarity this season, with the players and manager doing us proud.

168 Comments

Why did Joey Barton plead guilty? Use your brain if youve got one, people like you try to insult a load of United players but then defend this scumbag haha, you couldnt make it up, I wouldnt piss on Barton if he was on fire, Disgusting humon being

@Tommy.....the irony is Barton who was pissed and twatted someone at one in the morning outside mcdonalds, was pissed and smoking a huge cigar that he stabbed into someones eye, was in court for ripping out a taxi drivers radio at a macdonalds says Rooney wasn't professional enough lolol fuck me scousers and their one eyed view.

On a side note and talking about Barton, I know a bloke from Huyton born and bred. He's of Italian parentage. His job is rearing Gorillas. He travels all over the place and his house is full of pictures of him cuddling silver backs and huge primates.

He was one of Uniteds biggest hooligans in the 70s.

When I met him and realised he was a United fan I asked him about living in Huyton. He just shrugged and said nobody fucks with me. I wasn't going to argue.

" Why did Joey Barton plead guilty? "
- The person who wins the fight gets in trouble with the Police and he DID punch him. Pleading not guilty would be a lie. Nobody here is under the impression that Joey Barton didn't punch him.

Did he plead guilt of RACISM ? .... remember this was the issue you seem to have totally forgotten.

" people like you try to insult a load of United players but then defend this scumbag haha, you couldn't make it up "
- I dont understand how saying Michael Carrick drags the team back twenty yards and Ashley Young doesn't commit the fullback has to do with me objecting to you telling LIES about Joey Barton. You act like these are connected somehow.

Do only virtuous players deserve to not have lies made up about them ?.

" Use your brain if youve got one "
- These humon beings these days eh.

I dont get it how RM getting so much money for being unsuccessfull.
About tactics. My opinion is that every great manager, wich Moyes isnt, have to know a thin line between tactics and players. You cant play every tactic with every squad. You have to adapt, players also. But manager have to know where is that line, when you can t ask for more adaption from player. There are limitations. And how to get best from players. You cant say: They need to adapt!
We can see that with Kagawa, when he plays in his natural position he is great.

About Bayern, arrogant bastards, hope someone gonna make them suffer. Like about Klopp that he is so realistic about mistakes, players. Normal guy. They should score at least once or twice.

It is interesting, that Atletico Madrid have obviously great manager. They played few times with Barca and didnt lose. MESSI didnt score last few times against them. They make a cage around him and he is usless. Every manager should see how Simeone does it.

Mate, before I start you have to factor in Chelsea and their loanee structure. As of 12/13 they had 24 players out on loan. Loan deals tend to mean that the donor club pays the wages.

Included in those players was DeBruyne THazard Courtois Lukaku amongst many others.

However, forgetting all that, Chelsea in that financial year had around 240 full time employees.

United in that same financial year increased their full time employees from 713 to 793. 80 more employees.

Most were for the commercial department spread across England Hong Kong and America. Our current head count is just under 850 full time employees.

The article mentions none of this nor does it mention our turnover. You see it was still around the 50% Mark. I bet Chelseas is around 75% if not more.

The article was a headline grabber with no substance. In fact our wage bill was £1.5 million smaller at £180.5 million as per our verified accounts. Now if they got that wrong is the Chelsea figure correct? Either way it matters not.

Yes Uniteds wage bill was higher but there are good reasons behind the 11% rise as stated. It's just that headlines and banners get your attention but the truth was less palatable for the journalist who probably can't count.

@Wayne........yeah Its only my opinion, but I'm sure if the wages are being paid elsewhere then it helps their own cause.

Chelsea have an extraordinary amount of players on loan. Not just kids, but seriously good players. Just look at Lukaku who cost £20 million but has never played for them. DeBruyne Bertrand etc.

There's something seriously dodgy with Chelsea and their youth policy and this tie up with Vitesse Arnhem too.

City are going down the same route. The out with FFFP is the academy.

You can pump in as much as you like without it affecting your fffp if it's going into the youth set up. In reality it's money laundering. City will sell their shite kids to their American and Australian set ups for mega bucks to keep their advantage.

I noticed the other day that Scudamore said the other day that Uniteds season is affecting overseas viewing figures. Proof if it was needed that the PL needs Utd more than we need the PL.

Just had to ask, how do you catch united games there in canada? Are there any united fans or even soccer( as they call it there) fans. I may be moving there (Halifax )come august. A bit worried whether I will get access to the games.

ash get the right cable package get all the games mate,there's 6 or 7 channels that show live football.In Calgary have pubs that show the game but because we're 7hrs behind to early for me to get motivated.Halifax will be a different time zone to me and closer to English time

Haa,bit relieved to know that. Thanks for the info mate. Atleast I don't have to wake up till midnight to watch champions league games. I think it will be in afternoon time there in Halifax .have to find some united fans there. :)

Good thing about it mate prices I pay compared to the lads in England is a joke I pay $17 for 1 premium channel which is about 8 quid but the rest of the channels all come in packages quite a few come in the basic package with lots of other channels then can pay a few dollars for add ons.
If I had to calculate for about $30 per month get everything covered which is about 15 quid

That's awesome mate. I will have to look when I go there. Not sure whether I will have Televison . Maybe after some months I will but not at the beginning. I will try watching via streaming. No other option it seems.